Forgiveness Is The First Step
by jayhogartismyangel
Summary: When Matthew woke up from his coma, not remembering Destiny, she was devastated. Unable to deal with the pain, she left Llanview. Now, ten years later, she's back with her twins, Maxine and Matt.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgiveness Is the First Step**

**Summary: When Matthew woke up from his coma, not remembering Destiny, she was devastated. Unable to deal with the pain, she left Llanview. Now, ten years later, she's back with her twins, Maxine Elizabeth and Matthew James. Matthew Buchanan has changed for the worst, all because of the actions Destiny took all of those years ago.**

**Chapter One: Look at You Now**

"Shit!" Matthew Buchanan hissed as he saw what time it was. Trying to be careful not to wake up the woman in his bed, he swung his legs over the edge and grabbed a pair of black pants off of the floor, sliding them on. He tensed when he felt the bed move beneath him and a pair of long, slender arms wrap around his thin waist. A pair of lips pressed against his bare shoulder.

"Hey baby." The woman purred, licking his ear. "Last night was amazing."

He moved to remove her arms from around him and stood up. "Whatever." He grumbled under his breath, staring down at disgust at the brunette woman that smelled of cheap perfume. He bent down to pick up her red mini dress and underwear from the floor, throwing them at her.

She sat up in bed, letting the covers fall off of her. "Excuse me?" She demanded, glaring up at him. "Who do you think I am?"

Matthew gave her a smirk. "I don't think that you want me to answer that." He replied, cruelly.

"You told me that we had something!" The woman yelled, jumping up and pulling on her dress roughly. She rested her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't do relationships, Sarah." He told her casually, not caring if he seemed like a jerk or not.

Her green eyes turned icy. "My name's Callie." She told him, stalking out of the room.

Matthew just rolled his eyes and laughed as he watched her leave. She deserved it for being so damn clueless about everything that was going on. His eyes flickered over to the gold picture frame that rested on his nightstand. Inside, there was a picture of he and Destiny Evans, his ex-best friend, when they were teenagers. It had been taken just weeks before that special night that they had shared together. A night that had meant so much to him, even if it seemed as if it hadn't meant a thing to Destiny. At least not enough for her to stay. Maybe that is why he was such a jackass now. Even ten years after the fact, it still hurt that Destiny had left him. He had loved her and they'd shared something so amazing between them. He knows from Dani that Destiny left because he didn't remember her, but it still hurts. If she'd loved him, she'd have stayed. He would've if their roles had been reversed. He wouldn't have run away. And along with Destiny, Shaun, Vivian, and Mr. and Mrs. Evans had all disappeared from Llanview as well. If Dani knew where she was, she wasn't saying anything. Neither was Shane. Picking up the frame, he let his long fingers run over Destiny's face. She was burned into his memory. She was something that he couldn't ever erase.

"Matthew! Maxine! Uncle Shaun and Aunt Vivian are here to watch you!" twenty seven year old, Destiny Evans shouted from the living room as she grabbed her briefcase and slid on her red heels. "Thanks for doing this, by the way. I'm sorry it's so last minute. I just got called in to a meeting and-"

Shaun cut his little sister off with a deep chuckle. "It's alright Des. I understand that the life of a lawyer is hard." He told her with a smile.

She grinned at him gratefully. "Still though. I feel bad. I'm sure that you two had plans and I was supposed to take Matt and Max out today. They wanted to go to that new pizza place and see that movie."

"It's _okay, _Destiny. We didn't have any plans." Vivian replied, looking at the younger woman. "And besides, we love spending time with the twins. We're going to need the experience if our papers go through and we are going to be able to adopt that little girl and her little brother that we told you about."

Destiny was about to answer when Matthew and Maxine ran into the room. She turned to face both of them, kneeling down to their height. "You two be good for your aunt and uncle now, you here? None of your pratical jokes Maxine. And no temper tantrums, Matthew."

Maxine rolled her eyes at her mom. "But _mom! _My jokes are funny!"

Destiny chuckled dryly. "I'm pretty sure Mrs. Feterleigh didn't think so." She answered, thinking of when the thirty four year old woman had berated Destiny about her badly behaved kids after they'd put hot pink hair dye in the woman's shampoo when she had babysat them.

"Fine." Maxine groaned in annoyance, crossing her arms under her chest and pouting.

"Mom, since you didn't take us out today, will you tomorrow?" Matthew asked, giving his mother the puppy dog eyes.

She grinned and pressed a kiss to his forehead, messing up his hair. "Of course." She told him lovingly, hugging him close. She pulled away and did the same to Maxine. "I love you two. Now be good!" With that, she hurried out of the house and to her car.

Fifteen minutes later, she had parked her car infront of a tall, brick building and was about to go inside for her meeting when her cellphone rang. "Hello?" She asked into the phone.

"Destiny, hey! It's Dani. I know that we haven't talked in awhile, so I guess you've been busy. Anyway, I'm glad I finally got ahold of you. I wanted to ask you something." The woman said in a chipper voice.

"What is it?" Destiny asked, still sitting in her car.

"Well, that guy I've been dating, Adam? He finally popped the question and we are planning a wedding for a few months from now. I wanted to know if you and the kids would come. I also wanted to know if you'd be my maid of honor."

**To be continued: Destiny answers the question, memories, and trips home.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Forgiveness Is the First Step**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter would've been posted on Saturday or Sunday, but I ended up going shopping on Saturday and to a relative's house on Sunday, for dinner. I gotta say, I am so glad that Matthew survived/was brought back to life on Monday's episode. They definitely surprised me. Also, the character mentioned named Johanna(or Jo or Jojo for short), is Victor and Tea's daughter. **

**: **

**Chapter Two: Memories and Meetings**

Destiny smiled softly and said, "Dani, that's great! I'm so happy for you!"

Dani giggled girlishly and replied, "Thank you Des! So...will you do it?" She asked, hopefully. "Will you be my maid of honor? Maybe Maxine and Matt can be a part of the wedding to? Lead the guest to their seats or something along those lines. Starr is going to be a brides' maid and Hope and Johanna are going to be a Junior brides' maid. All I need is for you to say yes."

"Dani, I don't know. I haven't been to Llanview in almost ten years. Matthew doesn't have a clue that I was pregnant, and I doubt that Bo and Nora would be happy to see me. I deserted their son."

"You were a seventeen year old girl, Destiny. How the hell were you supposed to handle what was going on properly? It hurt you to leave him. I know that it did. Besides, I would really love to see my godchildren. They could hang out with Johanna." Dani pleaded into the phone, running a hand through her hair. She thought that it was high time that her friend come back home. And it was a long time overdue that Matthew and Destiny were reunited and Matthew met his kids.

Destiny sighed and stared out the window. "Okay." She murmured quietly. "Just do me a favor and don't let anybody know that I'm coming back, just yet."

"Destiny, Matthew is going to find out that you are coming back, eventually. Llanview is only so big, you're sure to run into eachother." Dani argued.

"_Please, _Dani. I want to figure out how I'm going to explain things to everyone, first." Destiny asked of her.

"Fine." Dani replied simply. "So you'll be my maid of honor?"

"Yes. I just have to buy some pack, schedule a flight, and buy some plane tickets."

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For all of her smarts, Destiny didn't know how she was going to deal with this. She hadn't been back to Llanview, since she left. Shane and Dani usually visited her. She tried to avoid talk of Llanview as much as possible. It was kind of her way of trying to forget her past life, though it never worked. Everytime that she looked at Matt and Maxine, she saw Matthew. Their eyes, their smiles, their wavy, dark brown locks of hair. There was no denying that they were Matthew Buchanan's children.

The thought of going back to Llanview and reuniting with Matthew was beyond terrifying. She still cared alot about him, she still loved him. He was the father of her kids. She was scared of how he'd react to what she did, though she knew her reasoning for leaving, how was she to explain taking his kids away from him and his parents and not even letting them know the twins?

When she'd left Llanview and had come to New Jersey with her family, she'd been sure that it was the right move. Matthew didn't remember her and she didn't want to stress him out by telling him about her pregnancy. It would surely send him into a relapse or something. She'd avoieded the hospital for weeks, after telling her mother that she had to get away from Llanview. So they had all left about two weeks later. A couple of months later, she'd given birth to Matt and Maxine, Matt had been a surprise. He hadn't shown up on the ultrasound when Maxine had, which kind of fit, considering his personality. He was much shyer than his twin sister. She honestly didn't know where he got it from since Destiny herself was anything but shy.

All throughout the meeting, Destiny couldn't focus. Her mind was still wrapped around the fact that she was going back to Llanview. How was she even going to tell the kids? And what about her mom, dad, Shaun, and Vivian?

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Matthew sighed as he ran a hand through his messy hair and walked into his Aunt Vicki's house for the Buchanan family dinner. Shane, his girlfriend, Abigail, Rex, Aubrey, Clint, Natalie, John, Liam, Jessica, Ford, Bree, and Ryder, as well as his own parents were already in the living room, laughing and talking as they waited for him.

Vicki smiled at him and walked over to give him a hug. "It's good to see you here, Matthew. We were waiting for you to get here. Dinner is ready. Where's that girl that you were dating? The one that I saw you talking to at the Buenos Dias?"

He smirked casually, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "She wasn't my girlfriend, Aunt Vicki. I don't date, remember?" He inquired.

The smile fell off of Vicki's face as she glanced at Nora and Bo. Her nephew hadn't been the same since he woke up from his coma. First, he didn't remember his best friend, Destiny Evans and then when he eventually did, he found out that she had left town with her family. He hadn't had any idea about her pregnancy and no one had told them. They'd been afraid of what that information would do to him.

"So, how about we have dinner now? I'm hungry!" Shane said nervously, glancing between Matthew and Destiny and his cousins, Liam and Ryder.

Bree nodded, exchanging a glance with Shane. "Yeah. I'm sure that Ryder and Liam are starving." She added.

The dinner was tense, to be honest. Bo and Nora were staring down at their plates, shovelling food in their mouth, unsure of what to say to their son. He'd been this way for years now. Hooking up with girls and then throwing them away as soon as he grew bored with them, which usually occured the morning after or even before that. Ever since Destiny left, it had been this way. Bo and Nora couldn't help but feel angry at the girl-the woman who had destroyed their son, even if she didn't know it. She'd left. She'd taken the kids away, and she hadn't ever come back. They'd kept the truth about his and Destiny's child, hoping that he would just be able to move on with his life. They didn't want to make things worse or do something to send him to the hospital, again. Unfortunately, Matthew had changed for the worst. He was unrecognizable from the boy that he had been before the coma.

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Daniella Manning ran a hand through her thick brown hair as she leaned against a wall, waiting for Destiny, Matt, and Maxine to walk through the airport terminal. It had been about a week since Dani had called her friend to ask her to be her maid of honor and Dani was anxious to see her as well as the kids. She was dying to talk to Destiny about the wedding and go wedding dress and bridesmaids dress shopping. Her eyes widened when she spotted Destiny walking torwards her, Matt and Maxine on either side of her with their backpacks on their shoulders. "Des! Over here!" She called out loudly, waving her arms up and down erratically.

Destiny spotted her and began running, her kids stood paused in the middle of the floor, watching as their mother and godmother squealed as soon as they were face to face and began hugging one another, tightly.

"Adults are weirdos." Maxine said with a sigh, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

Matt just looked at his sister, cocking his head at her before he turned his attention back to his mom and godmother, walking slowly over to them.

"Matt, Maxine!" Dani cried, letting go of her friend to embrace both of the twins. "You two look so grown up, I hardly recognized you!"

"It's nice to see you Auntie Dani." Matt replied, hugging her back.

Dani was about to reply before Maxine cut her off with a question.

"So mom told us that you're getting married to that guy that you brought with you, the last time you came to our house." The young girl stated bluntly, staring up at her godmother.

Dani nodded lightly, eyes going soft. "Yeah. Adam did. I wanted to ask you and your brother if you'd be a part of the wedding. Maybe you could lead the guests to their seats. Would you two be interested?" She questioned.

Maxine wrinkled her nose and grimaced. "But all the weddings I've seen on tv and the wedding that mommy's work friend had, were really boring!" She complained with a pout.

"Maxine Elizabeth Evans!" Destiny said strictly, looking at her daughter.

Dani laughed and shook her head. "It's okay, Des." She reassured her friend, before kneeling down to Maxine and Matt's height. "Well I can assure you that my wedding isn't going to be like that. It will be fun. My half-sister, Jojo is close to your age and she'll be in the wedding, too."

"So, when are we going to discuss your wedding plans?" Destiny asked of her friend.

"Oh, well, I was thinking that we could go over and have dinner at Capricorn. We could discuss it, then. If you don't want Maxine and Matt going there, my mother could watch them and they can hang out with Jojo and go to Buenos Dias." Dani offered.

"I don't want to make your mom watch two other kids, ontop of Johannah. I mean, you know how wild Max can get."

"Mom won't mind. Infact, she'd probably be happy to. She's working a case and Johanna tends to get in mom's hair and interrupt her concentration."

"Can we stay there, mom? We don't want to go to a boring adult restaurant." Matt spoke up.

Destiny looked at him before she turned her attention back to Dani. "Okay. Only if you're sure that she won't mind."

**Next Chapter: Dinner, run ins with Matthew, fights. Curious questions.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Forgiveness Is the First Step**

**A/N: I'm glad that people like that Matthew's behavior was caused by Destiny leaving. It's a fun, "What if?"**

**Chapter Three**

Destiny sighed as she ran a towel through her wet hair in Dani's bathroom. She was trying to freshen up before they dropped Max and Matt off at Tea's and then went to dinner at Capricorn. Dani had offered to let Destiny and the kids stay at her house so they wouldn't have to go through the trouble of finding a hotel and Destiny was grateful for that. She still couldn't believe that she was back in Llanview. From what she'd seen as they'd passed through the town, while going to Dani's house, not much had changed. Buenos Dias looked to be exactly as she remembered it and she'd been overcome with memories of the times that she and Matthew had spent there. She knew that Matthew would eventually find out that she was here as would his parents, and all hell was most likely going to break lose. That would be horrible, but she was strong, and she knew that she would be able to make it through.

Just then, she heard a knock on the front door and she became so still, listening carefully. She heard Dani open the door and greet her guest before she heard her kids' scampering footsteps and their voices shouting in unison, "Uncle Shane!". Laughing in relief, she opened the bathroom door and headed down the small hallway to the living room.

Shane Morasco looked up from there he stood just inside the doorway, hugging Max and Matt. He gave Destiny a boyish grin and pulled away from the kids to give his friend a hug. "It's good to have you back here, Des." He said to her softly.

Destiny smiled and hugged him back before pulling away. "I'm pretty sure that you and Dani will be the only ones who will think that, when everyone eventually finds out that I'm here." She told him, frowning slightly.

Shane ran a hand through his hair as he, Destiny, Dani, and the kids all took their seats. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the new comic book that he'd illustrated and written, handing it to the twins. "Here. Why don't you and your brother go and look at this in your room? You two can be my first critics before I send this in to get published." He asked of Maxine.

Matt and Max both nodded and ran out of the room with their uncles comic book.

He chuckled at the sight and shook his head lightly. He turned his attention back to Destiny and said fondly, "Those two are great."

She grinned weakly at him. "Thanks for getting them out of the room. I never told them the reason why I left." She replied quietly.

Dani spoke up this time, voice quiet but firm. "You're going to have to tell them soon, though. I mean, I've told you already that you'll run into Matthew or his parents at some point."

Destiny groaned. "I _know _that." She answered. "I _do. _But it's still hard. I've tried to avoid every mention of Matthew as possible, which is hard considering I'm the mother of his children, but..." She trailed off and shrugged her shoulder lamely. For ten years, she'd been trying to forget Matthew, but to no avail. She had tried dating, some relationships had gotten pretty serious. But eventually, she broke up with them. Her kids, her family, Shane, Dani, and her job were basically her life. She was okay with that. Now though, she was back in Llanview and she couldn't hide anymore.

Shane chewed on his bottom lip, unsure if he should tell Destiny about how much Matthew had changed. He didn't want her to feel guilty about it, though he knew that she would.

The woman in question narrowed her eyes and looked at him. "I don't like that look." She murmured. "What exactly are you hiding, Shane Morasco?"

He swallowed hard at her demanding tone and shared a look with Dani. "It's about Matthew."

Destiny raised an eyebrow and cocked her head as she looked at him. "What about him?" She questioned curiously.

Dani shifted uneasily in her seat and replied, "He's not exactly how you remember him."

The other woman let out a hollow laugh. "Well, the last time I saw him, he was in a hospital bed and he couldn't remember me. It's why I left, remember?"

"What Dani means is that Matthew is a jerk now. He runs Buchanan Enterprises-Grandpa Clint left him in charge of it. After you left, he became a user. A total asshole. He's never had a serious relationship and as soon as he gets tired of a girl, he dumps her. A few months ago, before I started dating Abigail, she was with Matthew. He dumped her after a week. It caused her to leave her job at BE, because he treated her so badly. And it's not just Abigail, there have been others." Shane blurted out.

Destiny looked down at her hands, feeling shocked. This was hard for her to imagine. Matthew could sometimes lash out or retreat into himself when he was upset-atleast when they were teenagers, but he'd never intenionally hurt someone, before. "Well, he can't be that bad." She replied, totally in denial. She didn't want to believe that the boy-the _man,_ that she was still in love with, the father of her children- was a user.

Dani and Shane didn't try to argue. They knew that it was no use. Their friend would have to find out on her own.

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Matthew laughed charmingly as he rested a hand on the small of his latest conquest's back. They stood at the the bar in Capricorn, ordering a drink from the bartender

"You know, my friend was right." The woman-Naomi, said, giving him a soft look. "You really are charming."

He gave her a seductive look and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "There's a lot more to me than just that." He bit the shell of her and blew on it, his hand traveling down her back to gently smack her butt.

She let out a shocked squeal and jumped at the contact, looking up at him with wide, startled blue eyes.

Matthew just laughed at her look and smirked devillishly as he took a swig of his vodka. It was so easy to get a woman where he wanted them. A disarming smile, a smirk, a touch. Whatever, really. It all worked. And it was something that Matthew knew all too well. He'd become a master manipulator over the years. Part of him-the part he'd been trying to rid himself of for years, felt bad about his actions. The person he was now though, would quickly stifle that voice. He couldn't show emotion. He couldn't care about a person's feelings. Not after Destiny. Not after she'd broken his heart.

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"Des, come on! Matt and Maxine are going to be fine! We've gotta get going. I hear there's going to be a live band at Capricorn, tonight." Dani complained, tapping her foot and crossing her arms impatiently. Destiny kept on stalling, even though the twins had already hurried off with JoJo to her room.

Destiny ignored her and instead asked Tea once more, "So you're sure that you're okay with watching them? Matt and Maxine can be a handful."

Tea nodded from her spot on the sofa, looking up from the laptop on her lap. "Of course. They can't be any worse than Johanna." She answered. "You two go out and have fun. Discuss the wedding. Relax."

Destiny finally gave up, nodding and calling out another goodbye to her kids, before she walked out the door with Dani.

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Matthew and Naomi were both already on their third drinks when they finally decided to leave. He placed his hand on the small of her back and began to lead her out rather clumsily when he knocked into someone. He heard whoever he'd ran into and Naomi both gasp in unison and he looked up, alcohol glazed eyes locking on someone who looked very familiar to him. He suddenly forgot to breathe as he looked at her.

'It can't be Destiny.' He thought. 'It has to be the alcohol talking. She hasn't been in Llanview for ten years, why would she be back now?'

That's when his gaze landed on the woman next to the person in question and he realised it was Dani. She looked guilty. He slowly looked back at the woman he'd knocked into to see her staring at him in horror. Disbelief and anger took over him as he asked harshly, "Destiny?"

**To be continued...**

**Next Chapter: Matt, Max, and Jojo talk about fathers. Matthew and Destiny have a confrontation, breakdowns. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Forgiveness Is The First Step**

**Chapter Four**

Destiny's eyes widened in horror when she saw the person who'd run into her. She could barely breathe as she locked eyes with Matthew, totally forgetting that Dani was beside her and the woman that he seemed to be on a date, with. She tore her gaze from his and looked down at the ground when Matthew said her name in a voice filled with anger and disbelief. He remembered her. And he was angry. Not that she could blame him, she guessed. Things weren't going the way that they were supposed to. Destiny hadn't planned on running into Matthew this soon.

"What the _fuck _are you doing back here?" He snarled, eyes filled to the brim with anger. His fists were clenched at his sides and his body was shaking with rage.

"Matthew." She said softly, reaching out a hand to rest on his arm.

He pulled back as if he'd been burned. "_Don't touch me!" _Matthew hissed. "You don't get to act like you care!"

"Matthew, you need to calm yourself down!" Dani said firmly, voice breaking slightly.

His attention turned to her and he glared. "And you knew all along where she was and you didn't tell me! You _knew _how upset I was when I found out that she was gone! You _knew _how I tried to find her for months!"

That's when Destiny snapped, anger filling her. "You don't get to act like you are the only one who was hurt! When I left, you didn't remember me. Do you know how hard that was to deal with? I _loved _you! I was so happy when you woke up, only for me to find out that you didn't remember me. I couldn't deal with that, so I left! You can't blame Dani for it. She was just being a good friend. She saw how hurt I was." Her voice grew hoarse from her screaming and she took calming breaths as tears spilled down her cheeks. She shook her head and covered her eyes with both hands as she saw everybody staring at them. "Look, I'm not going to discuss this here. I'm just not. All I want to do is talk to Dani about her wedding. If you want to talk sometime later, I'm staying with Dani at her apartment. We can talk then." She said softly, quietly. She tried to brush past him only for him to grip her wrist tightly, whirling her around to face him, again.

Bending his head down, Matthew whispered, "Nothing you can say will make me understand what you did. If you loved me, you would've stayed. I would've if our roles had been reversed."

She ripped her arm from his grip and narrowed her eyes at him. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing about you. Nothing could make me understand why you are such a jackass now." With that, she turned on heel and stalked over to the bar, ordering herself a drink.

Dani looked at Destiny wide eyed, before throwing an apologetic look at Matthew and hurrying after her friend.

"What was _that _about?" Naomi questioned, gazing up at him with her arms crossed under her chest.

"None of your business." He growled, rushing out the door and to his car, leaving her behind. At the moment, he didn't give a damn about his conquest. He was pissed and he had to be alone for awhile, before he ended up hurting someone.

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"So, where's your daddy?" Johanna asked as she placed down the controller to her Wii.

Matt shrugged silently, not speaking.

"We don't know." Max replied for him "Mom doesn't like to talk about him. It makes her sad."

"Oh." Johanna replied, wide eyed. "Talking about my dad makes my mom sad, too. But that's 'cause he's dead."

"Aunt Dani told us about that." Matt spoke with a nod, blushing slightly when it caused Johanna to look at him.

The little girl in question giggled, her light brown hair falling in her face messily. "You're funny, Mattie." She exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow. "Mattie?" He asked of her.

Johanna nodded. "Uh-huh. I give all my friends nicknames." She answered, smiling at him.

He smiled back. He didn't really have too many friends at school, unlike his twin who was rather popular. He guessed it was his own fault because he was so shy and being around alot of people made him nervous. "I like that!" He said happily with a smile.

Max covered her mouth and laughed silently. If she didn't know any better, she'd say her brother had a little crush on JoJo.

"I'm bored of this. Do you guys' wanna see if my mom will take us out for ice cream and pie at Buenos Dias? They bake the best pie."

Johanna said.

"Sure!" Max and Matt said in unison, standing up.

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Matthew slammed his door shut roughly, not much carrying if he'd done any damage or if he'd woke the neighbors. He stalked into the kitchen and grabbed the Vodka bottle from the fridge, taking a swig. The thoughts of what happened tonight wouldn't leave his mind. Destiny was back and what was more, was that she was acting as if she hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't seem to get his reasons for being who he was now. She didn't seem to realise that she'd broken his heart. His attention turned to the picture that sat on the stand by his sofa. The one that held a picture of him, Dani, and Destiny. He shook his head bitterly and laughed harshly. Both his friends had betrayed him so what good were they? He may love Destiny, but now he was convinced even more that he had to protect his heart.

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"Des, calm down!" Dani said, reaching out a hand to take the crystal glass from her friend's hand. "You're going to make yourself sick!"

She looked at her. "I can't calm down, Dani! Matthew hates me, not that I blame him! And when he finds out about Max and Matt...I just hope that he doesn't blame them. It isn't their fault. And he's so different. Not in looks, but in personality. I know that I've changed, but I'm still me. I don't even recognize him, anymore!" Destiny replied, shaking her head.

"Have you asked yourself why he's so bitter? Why he's a user?" Dani asked of her, wondering how she didn't get it. "When you left and he found out, it broke him, Destinu. He finally remembered you and he was so excited. He asked Shane and I where you were and we had to tell him that you were gone. He didn't want to believe it. He had a total breakdown and we had to leave his room because we were afraid that he'd be sent right back into a coma, or something. Ten years have passed, but he's still not over it. If I had to guess, that's the reason for the womanizing. He doesn't want to be hurt like that, again."

Destiny stared at her, hands shaking as tears streaked her cheeks.

Dani sighed and took a seat on the stool beside her friend, wrapping a comforting arm around the girl's shoulders. "Look, I know that you were hurt, too. I do. I'm not trying to make excuses for his behavior, either. I'm just telling you what I think. I do think that you need to talk to him about the twins, though. It's better to tell him now than to wait. He needs to know about them and I think it's high time that they met their father.

**Next Part: Matthew goes to Buenos Dias and runs into Tea, Johanna, and the twins. Destiny has a run-in with Bo and Nora. Wedding discussions and dress shopping.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Forgiveness Is the First Step**

**Chapter Five**

Wanting to take his mind off of what had occured at Capricorn, Matthew had decided to walk to Buenos Dias. He'd decided not to just drive there, because if he ended up wrecking his car because he'd been drinking, his mother and father would kill him. Even if he was twenty-seven and didn't live with them, anymore and made his own money, his parents were still very protective of him. Matthew walked into the restaurant, going up to the counter to order himself a coffee and a slice of one of Noelle's famous pies. As he looked around after paying, his gaze landed on Tea Delgado and her daughter, Johanna. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Johanna sandwiched between a boy and a girl, about her age. Llanview was a small town, and he'd never seen those kids here, before. Surprising since Buenos Dias was kind of the local hangout for kids of all ages.

He didn't know what made him do it, but after his pie and coffee was handed to him, he began to walk torwards the table. "What are you and Johanna doing here, so late?" Matthew asked of Tea.

Tea looked up at him and smiled slightly. "Oh, Matthew! It's good to see you. Well, Johanna and her friends wanted to come here for some ice cream. They pratically begged." She told him, sounding slightly amused.

At the mention of them, the twins looked up from the ice cream, both sets of eyes wide. Maxine and Matt had looked through a photo album that their mother had, hidden in the oak chest in her bedroom and had come across many pictures of their mother when she was a teenager. In alot of them, she was with a boy who looked alot like the man standing infront of them, now. Not to mention, his name was Matthew. Had their mother named Matt after this guy? If so, why had their mother never told them about him? Why had he never come to see their mom? All these questions filled Matt and Max's minds. They'd have to ask their mom about this guy, tomorrow.

Matthew's eyes narrowed in confusion as he took the two of them in. Somehow, looking at them closer, they reminded him of someone. His gaze shifted to Tea, questions in his eyes.

The woman stood up quickly and rambled, "Um..we should really get going. I have to go to court, tomorrow and Max and Matt's mom will kill me if she knows that I kept these two out, so late."

"But mom, you called Max and Mattie's mom to ask if this was okay. She said it was fine!" Johanna spoke up, eyes filled with confusion.

Matthew's mouth fell open in shock when he realised that Tea had just told him a blatant lie. As he looked at the kids that Johanna had called Mattie and Max, again, he was filled with a sense of realization. It suddenly made sense to him, why these kids looked so familiar. Not caring if he seemed rude or if his voice was too harsh, he asked of them, "Who's your mom?"

Max raised her eyebrows at his tone and glared up at him. "None of your business!" She bit out, annoyed with this guy, already. Her mother had always told her to be polite to everyone, but this Mattew guy didn't really deserve it, even if he was Matt's namesake and an old friend of their mom's.

He stared at the little girl in shock for a moment, before turning his attention to Tea. "They're Destiny's kids, aren't they?" It was more of a statement than a question. He already knew the answer. Just by the kid's looks and by the way that the little girl had just stood up to him. He let out a huff of breath, anger filling him once more. Despite everything that had happened with Destiny earlier at Capricorn, despite all of the anger and betrayel he already felt torwards her, he couldn't believe that she had two kids. Two kids who were aroun Johanna's age, which would mean that she'd gotten pregnant when he was in a coma. Had he really not mattered to her? She had moved on so quickly.

Noticing the look on his face, Tea told the kids to hurry up and put their jackets on. She didn't want Matt, Max, or JoJo to have to witness Matthew's anger. Before she left, she said, "I suggest you calm yourself down and then talk to Destiny. It's her story to tell, and her kids and mine shouldn't have to witness you acting like an idiot." With that, she hurried from the diner, pulling out her cellphone and calling Dani to tell her to warn Destiny about her run-in with Matthew.

00000

"So, do you and Adam have a wedding date set?" Destiny asked Dani, taking a sip of her Coke.

Dani nodded and replied, "We're thinking torwards the beginning of August. A summertime wedding. The colors are going to be a light turquoise color and yellow. I was thinking that Hope, JoJo, and Max could all wear yellow. You and Starr would wear turquoise and Matt could wear a turquoise or yellow tie."

"Who are Adam's groomsmen going to be? Besides Shane, of course." Destiny inquired, nodding in approval of Dani's color choices.

The other woman swallowed hard and chuckled nervously. "See...that's the thing.." She said, trailing off.

"_Dani."_ Destiny hissed in a tone of warning.

"Well what was I supposed to do, Des? I couldn't be all, 'Hey! Matthew can't be one of your groomsmen, because he and my Maid-of-Honor have a bad history!', now could I?"

"You could've atleast given me some warning." Her friend replied.

"_Des_! You and Matthew are going to _have_ to work things out! You have two kids together. Two kids that he is going to eventually find out about. You two don't have to be BFFs again, but you have to get along for Matt and Max. They deserve both of their parents in their lives!" Dani told her, feeling frustrated.

Destiny opened her mouth to argue, when Dani's phone suddenly rang.

"Hold on. It's my mom, I've gotta take this." Dani said, answering it.

With a roll of her eyes, Destiny stood up and walked over to the stage, where the band was getting setup. She wasn't paying much attention to where she was going and again, she ran into somebody.

"Sorry about that!" A familiar voice said. "We should've been paying attention.

Destiny looked up, praying that it wasn't who she thought that it was, only for her to see Bo and Nora standing there. "It's okay. It's my fault." She said weakly, hoping that they didn't recognize her. Of course, that would be too much to ask.

"Destiny?" Nora pratically yelled, sounding beyond shocked.

"Mrs. B, Mr. B." Destiny stated nervously, the nickname she'd given Matthew's parents coming forth, though she hadn't spoken it in ten years.

"Why are you all of a sudden back now? After you abandoned Matthew and took his child away from him, why are you back _now? _I'm not going to let you mess up my son's life. He's already broken, because you left all that time ago, and I'm not going to let you hurt him, more!" Nora hissed, eyes on fire.

Destiny had never seen Matthew's mother like this, before. Of course, she knew that Nora was fierce. She had to be, she was a lawyer. But Nora's anger and power had never been directed at her.

"Nora, Nora. Calm down. Shouldn't we let Destiny explain?" Bo asked, tugging on his wife's arm and speaking softly to her, trying to calm her. Of course he wasn't okay with what Destiny had done. Her actions had hurt her son, but he and Nora had both made mistakes in their life and he wasn't going to condemn her for what she'd done.

Nora whirled around and glared at her husband. "How can you be okay with this? She _hurt _our son! She's the reason that he-" She cut herself off, voice breaking.

"I'm not saying that I'm alright with what she did, but shouldn't we just listen to her side of the story? You and I know better than anyone that people make mistakes." He answered firmly, looking into his wife's eyes.

**To be continued...**

**Next Chapter: Destiny, Bo, and Nora have a confrontation/conversation, Matt tells his sister and JoJo a suspicion he has about Matthew. Matthew comes to confront Destiny.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Forgiveness Is the First Step**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Sorry it took so long to post!**

**Chapter Six**

"Listen, I _know _that I shouldn't have left, I should have stayed and I should've been patient. But, I was _seventeen. _I was heartbroken, when Matthew didn't remember me. I loved him and had been his best friend for years, but he didn't even know who I was. Then, when Matthew's doctor told us that he might never remember...I just couldn't deal with it. I couldn't deal with seeing him all the time, but him not remembering me. I haven't told Matt and Max about him. I never knew how, and they don't really ask." Destiny told them, shaking her head.

Bo's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Matt and Max?" He asked, sounding as if he was really thinking about it. "You had twins?"

She bit her bottom lip and then nodded. She might as well get the truth out, now. "Matthew James and Maxine Elizabeth. Matt was a surprise. He never showed up on the ultrasounds."

"Do you three have a place to stay, or...?" Ge questioned her.

Destiny nodded. "We're staying with Dani. She asked me to be the maid of honor in her wedding. We're staying to help her plan it. That's why I'm here. We decided to come here tonight, to discuss it. Matt and Max are with Tea and Johanna."

"Does Matthew know about them, yet?" Nora finally asked, calming down a little bit.

The younger woman shook her head. "No." She whispered softly. "I ran into him earlier, tonight, though. I told him to come to Dani's, tomorrow, so we could discuss everything. He was..._really _upset when he saw me. I thought that it would be a good idea to tell him about the twins, when we didn't have an audience."

"Could we come and see them, sometime?" The older woman pleaded, wanting so badly to meet these grandkids of her's.

Destiny didn't speak for a moment, eyes flickering torwards her feet, before she raised them. "I think it's about time Matt and Max knew their father, and their grandparents." She answered. "It's too late, right now. But...maybe you two could come over tomorrow, after Matthew knows the truth."

Bo was opening his mouth to reply, when Dani ran up to Destiny, seemingly not noticing him or his wife.

"Des! We've gotta go!" Dani said, sounding completely panicked, her eyes wild.

Destiny's eyebrows furrowed. "Dani..." She whispered, completely confused as to why her best friend was acting this way.

"No! Des! There isn't time to talk. Matthew knows about Matt and Max!" Her best friend replied, tugging on her arm.

"Wait. How does know about them? Destiny told us that she didn't tell him!" Bo spoke up.

Dani whipped her head torwards him, eyes widening as her mouth fell open. "Oh." She mumbled, uncomfortably, not really knowing what to say. "I didn't..."

"They _know._ I just told Mr. and Mrs. B, a few minutes ago." Destiny replied to her friend's unspoken question, slightly impatient. "Now, how does Matthew know about the twins?"

"Mom took the kids to Buenos Dias, for ice cream and pie." Her friend spoke breathlessly. "Well, mom just called me and told me, that Matthew was there and he asked about the kids. He realised that they're your's. She told him that he should talk to you, because it was your business."

Destiny groaned and covered her face with her hands, smoothing her hair back. "Okay. So, are Matt and Max, okay?"

Dani looked away from her friend, Bo, and Nora's inquiring gazes. "When I was on the phone with my mom, I heard them asking questions about Matthew, in the background. They were wondering if that wasd how Matt got his name." She told them, softly.

"You should go. Be with your kids." Nora told Destiny, nodding her head and reaching out to squeeze Destiny's hand. "Tell them the truth. And when you talk to Matthew, please don't judge him too harshly. He's dealt with alot, too. I understand why you left, now, but you hurt him, too. And I think that really is the cause of his behavior. Maybe you'll be able to help my baby. I can't wait to meet my grandkids, either."

0000

"Why aren't you saying anything, Mattie?" Johanna questioned with a small yawn, the Monopoly board sitting between them.

He shrugged his shoulder and replied. "Dunno. Just thinking about earlier."

"Don't worry about that Matthew guy, Matt. He seemed like such a jerk." Max told him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder."

JoJo nodded her head, vigourously. "Your sister's right." She said softly, in agreement.

"See, that's the thing though." Matt answered, pulling his knees up under his chin. "Why does he have the same name as me? And why wouldn't your mom tell me and Max, when we asked?"

JoJo shrugged. "Maybe you should ask your mom."

"Why does it look as if you're thinking of something else?" Max questioned her brother, suspiciously, noting the look on his face.

"It's just...Matthew looked familiar. Like the guy in those pictures, in mom's old photo album. And the way he acted when he found out who our mom is. It's just...weird." Matt stated, staring down at his hands in confusion.

"Maybe there isn't any big mystery about it, Matt. Maybe that guy was just being a butthead." Max sighed, rolling her eyes at the way her brother was talking.

"I don't think it was just that, though! I think that he cared about our mom. That she was important to him." He replied, sounding so sure of himself.

JoJo tilted he head to the side and stared at him with wide eyes, wondering what he was getting at. Before she could ask, her mother opened her bedroom door.

"Hey, you three. Matt and Max should be getting ready. Their mom is coming to pick them up." Tea said, smiling at the three kid, trying not to let the worry from what happened earlier, shine in her eyes.

JoJo groaned. "But mom! Can't they spend the night?"

The woman shook her head as she stepped farther into the room and knelt down, beside of her daughter. "Tell you what, maybe they can spend the night, later this week. Not tonight, though." She answered, knowing that Destiny would probably want to talk to her kids.

"Okay." JoJo said sadly, reaching over the game to hug Max first, then Mattie.

000

"Mom? Why are you acting so sad?" Matt voiced hesitantly, staring up at her with curious eyes as she led them to the guest bedroom, where he and his sister would be staying.

Destiny sighed, lowering her head wearily, closing the bedroom door. "Okay, I've got something to tell you." She replied, leading them to one of the twin beds and sitting between them. "It's about your father. And...that guy that you to ran into earlier tonight, with Tea and Johanna."

"Mommy?" Max asked, sounding so unsure of herself and so young. Was she hinting at what Max thought that she was? Was Matt right? She shared a look with her brother who only shrugged.

"I was seventeen when I had you. Your dad...he was in a coma. He'd gotten into an..._accident._ He eventually did wake up, but he had no memory of me. You two hadn't even been born yet. I couldn't deal with it, so I left." Their mom told them, feeling tears sting her eyes, once more.

"So you left?" Matt asked, sounding hurt.

The woman nodded. "So I left." She whispered, clearing her throat. "Anyway, that boy in those photos...that was Matthew. That's your father."

"That jerk is our daddy?" Max exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Maxine Elizabeth Evans!" Destiny scolded her daughter. "You will _not _insult your father. Yes, he is. And I would like you two to get to know him. I want him to know you."

Matt didn't say anything as he pulled away from his mom and sister, crawling under the covers of the bed and turning on his side. He didn't know what to think about this. All he really wanted to do was sleep and forget what his mother had told him. Of course, he'd had his suspicions. But it still stung a bit to know that his mother had left, because Matthew-their father, hadn't remembered her. He knew what amnesia was, but still. Then, he recalled the way the man had acted at the Buenos Dias. Turning, he sat up, leaning against the headboard. "But mom, what if he doesn't want us?"

"How could he not want you two? You're both amazing, beautiful, intelligent children. And I am so proud of you. I already told your grandparents-his parents, about you. They can't wait to get to know you. They already love you. And Matthew will too." She sounded so sure of herself.

"But what if he's mad?" Max asked. "He didn't seem all that nice or understanding."

"If he's mad at anyone, it will be me. It's not you or your brother's fault. You had no choice in the matter." Destiny stated, trying to calm their fears as well as her own.

0000

Around eleven, Matthew awakened. He'd had a hard time getting to sleep, last night. He hadn't gotten any rest until around three or four, in the morning. Everything that had occured the night before, had been running wild in his mind. He couldn't let that go on. He had to see Destiny. He had to see what she had to say. He needed answers and he deserved them. He wanted to know about Matt and Max's father and why she didn't stay, if she loved him so much. With that in mind, he quickly got up, took a shower, and got dresssd.

About an hour later, he was standing outside of Dani's apartment, waiting for an answer, as he thought of what he was going to say. He sucked in a breath as the door swung open and the boy that he'd seen yesterday stood there, staring at him with curious brown eyes.

"You wanna come in?" The boy asked of him, breaking the stifling silence, standing back so he could walk inside.

"Um..sure." Matthew answered gruffily, stepping into the room.

"My mom is in the kitchen, making my sister and I lunch. I'll go and get her." The boy told him, leaving the room in a hurry, before Matthew could answer.

Matthew leaned back, staring up at the ceiling as he took some calming breaths, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"So I guess you want answers." Destiny said, breaking through his thoughts as she took a seat beside of him.

He jumped slightly and then turned, narrowing his eyes at her. "Well, yeah. I think that I kind of deserve them." He replied coldly, glaring at her.

**To be continued...Destiny tells Matt the truth, awkward introductions.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Forgiveness Is the First Step**

**Chapter Seven**

Destiny frowned at his tone, "I'd appreciate it, if you didn't raise your voice. My kids are in the next room. I don't want them to hear, this." She hissed, coolly.

Matthew stared at her with wide eyes. "You're acting as if, I shouldn't be upset! Do you know what it was like, finding out that you had kids, the way that I did? I should've found out from _you!_"

She closed her eyes, taking a breath. "I was going to tell you, today. Before I even knew that you'd figured it out." She told him. As angry as he was now, she knew that he'd be worse, when he found out that Matt and Max were his kids, as well.

"Today?" He scoffed, laughing bitterly. "What about ten _years_ ago? There is no excuse for keeping it a secret for that long. We were supposed to be best friends."

Destiny glared daggers at him, voice breaking. "You don't even understand what I was going through, Matthew!" She told him. "You were in a _coma, _when I first found out. And when you finally _did _wake up, you had amnesia!"

Matthew laughed harshly. "And what about the fact that you didn't even seem to care, about the fact that I was hurt, ten years ago? Those kids are probably about ten years old. That would mean that you had to get pregnant, while I was in the coma." He shook his head, feeling the tears sting his eyes. He really wished that he could hide how much her actions had hurt him, from her. He didn't want her to see his weakness, and have her feel satisfaction of the power that she held over him. "Who's the father? Darren, or maybe Shane Morasco? Shane obviously knows all about them! I saw the comic, in that little boy's hand."

Her eyes widened at his words and her mouth fell open. She was a little bit shocked, by the emotion in Matthew's voice. Whereas last night, he'd been all anger, now he sounded more hurt, than anything. The anger was still there, but his hurt was the most present. She shook her head, when she heard the rest of what he had to say. Was he really that clueless? Matt and Max both shared many of his features. How could he not have noticed? "Matthew! I haven't even spoken to or seen Darren, since our breakup back in highschool! And Shane is just a friend! Gigi was a teen mom, so Shane kind of understood what I was going through. He's like an uncle to Matt and Max!"

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "So, their dad is some random guy? Didn't their father find it a little weird, that you named one of them, after me?" He asked of her, jumping to his feet. He couldn't be so close to her, right now.

Destiny growled. "No! If you want to know who their father is, all you have to do is think! I only slept with ONE person, around the time that Matt and Max were conceived."

Matthew's breath caught in his throat and his hands went up, to grip his hair. She couldn't be saying what he thought that she was. If they were his, she would've definitely told him, years ago. Or she'd have at least, informed his parents. They wouldn't have gotten mad at her. He knew that she had chosen to stay away for ten years, only coming back now, for Dani's wedding, but she couldn't have possibly kept his kids from him.

Looking at him, she saw that he finally got it. "Yes Matthew. Matthew and Maxine are your's." She whispered softly, shifting her feet, uncomfortably.

His eyes turned hard as he finally looked at her, anger filling him, once more. All the sadness and hurt he felt, was at the back of his mind, right now. "How could you keep them from me? They're mine, too! Goddammit, Destiny! They are ten fuckin' years old. I've missed out on so much of their lives. Do they even know anything, about me? Or did you hide the truth from them, too?"

"Actually," Stated Max, walking into the room and pulling her brother along, behind of her. "We never really asked about you. Mom is a great, mother. And we had Aunt Dani, Uncle Shane, Uncle Shaun, Aunt Vivian, Grandma, and grandpa, too." She pushed her brother down into the sofa cushions, moving to stand infront of her father. "I don't like you yelling at my mom, it makes you seem like a jerk."

Matt groaned and leaned into his mother's side. 'They're all crazy. I'm the only normal one.' He thought, looking up to see the way that his father was looking at his sister. He seemed so unsure of what to do. Not that Matt could blame him. This had to be a shock, for him. He didn't understand all of what was going on, but he didn't really think that he could blame the man for how he was feeling.

Matthew hadn't paid all that much attention, to the way the kids looked, the night before. But now, he could clearly see a little bit of himself, in the little girl's eyes. He didn't know what to say as his attention turned to the little boy-his namesake, snuggled into his mother's side. He couldn't help but wonder what life would've been like, if Destiny had stayed in Llanview. Would they have raised the twins, together? Would they have gotten married and had more kids? There were so many what if's that ran through his mind, at that moment. "Could I please take the twins out?" He inquired, softening his tone as he looked at Destiny. He wasn't quite ready to forgive Destiny yet, but he wanted to get to know Matt and Max. After all of these years apart, he wanted to make up for the time that they missed out on.

Matt and Max looked at their mother, wondering what she would say. Matt couldn't help but want to get to know this man. He was curious to see what he was like. Max however, wasn't all too thrilled. She hated her father's behavior and couldn't help but think that he deserved a good punch, in the face.

Destiny looked at Matthew. She could still see the hurt in his eyes and she felt a pain in his chest. She wanted to explain her reasoning for doing what she did. How scary it had been, finding out that she was pregnant and then, how when he woke up, she'd been terrified that he wouldn't accept the twins. A fact that was made even worse, when she realised that her best friend didn't even recognize her. "Okay." She murmured, staring up at him apologetically. "Just have them back, by eight. Dani wants to go shopping for the wedding, early tomorrow and we'll have to get up early."

00000

"Sorry about my sister." Matt told Matthew, as they sat in a booth, across from one another at Buenos Dias. Max had headed to the bathroom, after the waitress had taken their order. "She's a little..." He trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

Matthew chuckled deeply, shifting in his seat, awkwardly. "It's okay. I was a little bit of a jerk. I'm surprised that you're even speaking to me."

The little boy shrugged, giving the waitress a boyish smile as his chocolate shake was placed infront of him. "Mommy told us that we shouldn't judge you, for how you're acting. Plus, I wanna know you." He answered, taking a sip of his drink. "Max is just a little bit protective. She loves me and mom, lots/ She doesn't wanna see us hurt."

The man smiled softly. "Sort of like your mom." He murmured, overcome with memories from years ago, of how protective and caring Destiny had been of him. Thinking about it now, he knew that Destiny must've had her reasons for keeping the kids away. He just didn't really understand what they were.

**Next Chapter: Matt and Matthew bond, Max and Matthew have a talk, Destiny and Matthew make up, wedding shopping!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Forgiveness Is the First Step**

Max sighed angrily as she dried her hands with a paper towel, eyes filled with tears. She really wasn't happy about being here, with the man that had been such a jerk to her mother. Sure, she felt bad for him. But couldn't he understand why her and Matt's mother had left, with them? He hadn't remembered her and there was the possibility that he never would. Even at ten, Max understood that her mother had been trying to protect them, as well as her own heart. She'd heard her mother and Auntie Dani talking about Matthew, before. About how he hadn't always been the best friend that her mother deserved. And how he basically ignored her, for other girls. Something that Max didn't quite understand.

It kind of surprised her, that her brother was so willing to get to know their father. He was usually so shy and quite, though with a bit of a temper, when someone hurt his sister. But here in Llanview, he was already the best of friends with JoJo. And he was talking to Matthew, with no problems. He'd even talked to Tea, about some of his favorite things to do. It was odd. Suddenly, the door to the restroom and Max got an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach, feeling eyes on her. She turned her head ever so slightly, catching the eye of a teen with long, sandy blonde hair and bright hazel eyes. The teenage girl was staring at her, suspiciously, causing Max to swallow hard. "Um, hi?" She said in a questioning tone, furrowing her brows.

"Hey." The teen answered, still staring at her. "I'm sorry for how I'm acting. It's just...you look really familiar."

"I don't know why. I've never even been here before, until a few days ago." Max replied.

"I'm Bree. Jessica Buchanan's daughter. I think that I saw your brother, sitting with Matthew. He's my second cousin." Bree told her. "My brother, Ryder and I, didn't know that he had kids."

"Oh, well you three have something in common, then!" Max said sarcastically, rolling her dark eyes.

Bree glared at the younger girl, feeling a little bit angry. "Well, it's not like you need to be rude!" She admonished. "It's just a surprise, is all. I heard my grandma, Vicki, talking about you guys with Nora and Bo. Why are you so angry, at my cousin? He didn't even know about you."

"He's a jerk." Max replied coolly, walking past the older girl and out the bathroom door, stopping short when she saw a boy around a year older than her.

"Was my sister, in there?" The boy asked rather rudely.

The little girl put her hands on her small hips and narrowed her eyes, at him. "And _who are you?" _She growled in an affronted tone, stomping her foot in anger.

"Ryder. So is my sister in there or not?" Ryder questioned, once more.

Max just laughed, brushing past them. "Yeah, she is." She answered simply, walking back to the table where her brother sat. She stopped short, frowning as she heard her brother let out a genuine laugh at something that Matthew had said. He sounded so _happy._ It wasn't that she'd never heard him laugh before, it was just the fact that he was being so accepting to someone that was pratically a stranger, to him. Her brother was usually a good judge of character. Had she been wrong, labeling Matthew as a jerk?

"Mom's a lawyer. Grammy Phyliccia says that she's really good at her job." Matt told his father, sounding beyond proud of his mother's accomplishments.

The man gave a deep laugh and a grin. "I always knew she'd be good at that. She always sort of reminded me of your grandmother, Nora." He told Matt, eyes going soft at the memory.

"Mom told me and Max, last night that they wanna meet us." The small boy said, staring at his father with wide eyes, clearly speaking of his paternal grandparents.

"They probably are." Matthew answered, beaming. "They always wanted grandkids. My sister, Rachel doesn't have any."

"Uncle Shaun and Aunt Vivian are planning on adopting." Matt stated.

His father gave him a gentle smile. Matthew was happy for Shaun and Vivian. They were good people. And Shaun had always been such an amazing brother to Destiny. "Well, good for them." He said softly.

"So let me get this straight. Max and Matt are spending the day with Matthew, but you two are still angry with one another and haven't talked things out? Aren't you a little bit worried?" Dani asked as she slipped on a silver, high-heeled shoe. She looked over at her best friend, dark hair curtaining her tanned face.

"Why should I be scared?" Destiny questioned, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"I don't know." Dani admitted with a shrug of her slender shoulders. "It's just...Matthew isn't the same guy he was, before the coma. And you two aren't on the best of terms right now. What if he says something?"

"Come on, Dani. Don't worry Destiny over nothing. I'm sure that Matthew isn't saying anything bad. And besides, even if he did, wouldn't Matt and Max set him straight? You told be that they are pretty straight forward, for their age." Starr admonished, stepping out of the dressing room and walking torwards the mirror, clad in a short, fitted dress in turquoise. She laughed a little bit, her attention going to a giggling Hope and Johanna who were gushing over their matching yellow dresses.

Johanna was twirling around, so the skirt of her flowy dress would flare out. She stopped when she heard Matt and Max be mentioned. "Miss. Destiny? Will Mattie and Max be here, tomorrow? I really wanna see them, again."

Destiny turned and smiled at the girl. "Just call me Destiny. Max will be here, tomorrow. But Matt will have to go with your sister's fiance and his friends, to get his suit."

Johanna frowned a bit, when she heard that Matt wouldn't be there. "Well, can I see Mattie , after?" She pleaded hopefully.

Starr, Hope, Destiny, and Dani shared an amused look.

"Well, maybe you could come to my house tomorrow. You could spend a couple of days with Matt and Max." Dani offered, looking at her sister. "But for now, how about you go change back into your clothes? I think it's about time that I take my bridesmaids out for ice cream."

"Okay!" Johanna answered, beaming. She hurried back into the dressing room to take off the dress.

"Instead of staring, why don't you go over there?" An unfamiliar voice whispered into Max's ear, causing her to jump.

She turned and saw the Ryder boy, standing there. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

He rolled his eyes. "Geez! It was just a question. But wouldn't it be more simple, than acting like a spy?"

"Why are you even talking about this?" Max questioned, irritably.

Ryder shrugged. "Matthew is my cousin. If you're his kid, then we're related." He stated casually, sounding older than his age.

"But he was a jerk." Max said.

"I heard my grandma Vicki talking about it. He was heartbroken. She said that sometimes people lash out. Why don't ya try to get to know him?" The boy answered, peering over her shoulder. "Your brother seems to be."


End file.
